By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Despite falling to Goodland in the semifinal round at state, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team will have an opportunity to equal the program's best finish this afternoon as they prepare to play a familiar foe in the third-place game.
For the third time this season, the Southeast will face Beloit in a Trojan War, looking to avenge two earlier losses from this season.
This will be the fifth third-place game for the purple and white unit in their sixth trip to state, and their third appearance in this game in as many years.
“It says so much about our program and our expectations that this feels like a disappointment,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “Our guys found ways to battle and when you watch March Madness there’s always a team that's got nothing to lose and that’s playing really good basketball and I felt like that was us this year.”
To claim the bronze for a third consecutive season, Southeast will have to overcome the top-seeded and #1-ranked Beloit Trojans, who will enter this game at 23-2 after falling to Wellsville on Friday.
“Beloit’s biggest challenge is their size,” Flax said. “Beisner is really good, the Johnson kid is playing at a whole other level and they’re a really good defensive team. They funnel things to their bigs and it’s always hard to play size when you don’t have a lot of it.”
That size gave SES trouble in each of the first two contests, but the Trojan team that has made this run through the playoffs is a far cry from the one that struggled with Beloit earlier this year, and will be primed to give it their all when the ball goes in the air on Saturday afternoon.
“We need to bring some energy to this game early and we’ll have to find ways to keep these big guys off the glass and knock down some shots,” he said.
Tip-off between the two Trojan teams is set for noon from the Hutch Sports Arena and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) or streamed online at 910KINA.com.